News

IBW Book Award winners announced

The Booksellers Association of UK and Ireland (The BA) today announced the winners for the Independent Bookshop Week Book Award 2015 (IBW Book Award), which is supported by independent bookshops across the country. The winners are:

Adult Category:

Sarah Waters for The Paying Guests (Virago)

Children’s Fiction category:

Sally Nicholls for An Island of Our Own (Scholastic)

Children’s Picture Book category:

Salvatore Rubbino for A Walk in Paris (Walker Books)

There were ten adult titles and twelve titles in each of the children’s categories on the shortlists, which were selected by independent booksellers from nominations put forward by publishers.

Meryl Halls, Head of Membership Services, Booksellers Association, said: “The judges lunches were very lively affairs as they talked through the incredibly strong shortlists with passion, intelligence and a lot of enthusiasm. The winners of each category soon emerged as strong favourites and the judges were unanimous in their choices. On behalf of the Booksellers Association, I’d like to congratulate Sarah, Sally and Salvatore on winning this year’s awards.”

Sarah Waters, winner of the Adult Category, said: “It was a great honour to be on the shortlist for the Adult Category of the IBW book award, alongside so many fantastic authors and books. To have won is a huge thrill. I am absolutely delighted.”

Sally Nicholls, winner of the Children’s Fiction Award, said: “I was astonished when I was told that I’d won an IBW Book Award. With such a strong short list, full of books by authors whose work I really admire, I didn’t think I stood a chance! I have such a lot of respect for independent booksellers, most of whom work long hours for little reward, and do so out of a deep love and commitment to bookselling. I’ve been lucky enough to do events with some brilliant small bookshops, and it’s almost always been one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Booksellers have magical powers. They don’t just make the world better, they quite literally make YOU better, and through you the world. Mess with a bookseller at your peril. ”

Salvatore Rubbino, winner of the Children’s Picture Book Award, said: “It’s lovely to receive this award and to be part of a campaign that celebrates independent bookshops! I always feel at home in an independent bookshop, it’s where I go to feel nourished with ideas and new picture books. Hurrah for the ‘independents’ they give the high street its soul!”

The winners of the IBW Book Award 2014 were: Adult category: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Black Swan); Children’s Fiction category: Flora & Ulysses by Kate Di Camillo, illustrated by K.G. Campbell (Walker Books) and Children’s Picture Book category: A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Mark Hearld (Walker Books).